


The secret of Mistletoe

by NCSP



Series: Christmas Collection [4]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Christamas prompt, Christmas Fluff, Fluff, Loki’s a little shit, M/M, Secret Relationship, Siblings, Squabbling, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-20
Updated: 2018-12-20
Packaged: 2019-09-23 03:47:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17072918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NCSP/pseuds/NCSP
Summary: Thor really wants to know why there’s mistetoe hanging all around.Loki would rather be skinned alive than tell him.





	The secret of Mistletoe

“C’mon, bróðir, tell me.”

“By the Norns, Thor, you grow more annoying each century.”

“Bróðir, please.”

Loki turned around, a gentle smile curling on his lips, “Since you ask so politely…”

And he disappeared.

“Loki!” Thor bellowed, but to no avail. He should have been used by now to his brother’s favourite methods to avoid dealing with people, he had only hoped that Loki had grown out of those habits.

After all in those months of mock imprisonment his brother had indeed changed, hoping also that aspect of his character had been softened wasn’t a fool’s hope.

Maybe not in the eyes of his brother, but to Thor it completely made sense.

Since their father has sent Loki to Midgard, and therefore Thor who had followed him in the role of his guardian, Loki’s edges had somewhat softened. After the first days of stubborn mutism and voluntary confinement in his room in the Stark Tower Loki had started to react to the presence of the other people who lived there.

At first Loki had been wary of all of them, probably in fear of their possible retaliation, but when it had been clear that they actually believed to the fact Thanos had been controlling him the whole time, that sense of well-justified dread had lessened.

Not that he liked the humans, not even Thor would have been that optimistic, but at least he had stopped avoiding them at all costs. He still didn’t like Banner’s company, but that was understandable.

The one Loki had seemed to get more along with was Stark, and even though Thor was convinced that that friendship would have ended in disaster – something on the lines of a pissed off Loki who threw the human off the window once again, tired of his constant nicknames – for now those two seemed to be as thick as thieves, to the point that Thor had elected Stark’s lab as the first place to search when Loki disappeared.

He would have never expected such a friendship to bloom between those two, but Thor was glad his brother had finally found a friend. Not only Loki was happier, but that friendship distracted him from causing mischief all around, and if there was someone who could keep Loki distracted was certainly Stark.

Of course there was indeed a downside: Loki may have been distracted from causing mischief on his own, but only because Stark had joined him.

At least the man had stopped Loki from stabbing people, and in Thor’s long experience of pierced tunics and stained capes, that was certainly something.

That didn’t certainly mean Loki had started behaving as a nice brother.

Take for example their last conversation.

Thor had been pestering his brother for the last two days about the Midgardian custom the archer had enacted, and Loki had sternly refused to even only give him a hint. Quoting Loki “giving you a hint is the same as telling you nothing.”

Such a redeemed person.

The only one who had appreciated the answer had been Stark, who had chuckled before leaving the room.

That only left one option.

Thor would have had to figure it out himself.

Mistletoe was quite common in the Midgardian places Thor had known in his youth, but he had no idea of why it had been hung in every passageway of the penthouse.

He hadn’t been present when Clint had taken charge of the decorations, so he hadn’t had the chance of asking him back then, and since the archer was on a mission and would have returned only the next day Thor couldn’t rely on him for an explanation.

He had taken his chance of asking Stark, but the man seemed to be following Loki’s order to keep his mouth shut on the subject, and with an unapologetic smile Thor had been dismissed.

It was nice Loki had a friend, Thor didn’t question it, the only problem was that Stark was turning into a pettiest version of himself.

Thor sighed. Again.

There wasn’t much for him to do. Certainly staring at the closest twig of mistletoe wouldn’t have helped him since he doubted that Midgardian trees could talk, especially after they had been cut to pieces.

He could only wait for the next day and hope Clint hadn’t been dragged in Loki’s secrecy plan too.

 

~

 

They were all gathered in the living room of Stark’s penthouse.

Technically speaking that was Tony’s private floor, but everyone seemed to freely come and go so that place had been elected to be their space to recount their tales of battle, as Thor liked to call the funny events they used to tell each other after their missions. They always left out the worst parts of what had actually happened as they were away, but they enjoyed sharing the the unusual details.

“… and then the idiot fell and shot himself in the leg. I mean, he was standing there, going all evil guy on me and threatening to kill me, and then he shoots himself,” Clint laughed, the image still fresh in his memory.

“Reminds me of gods and dull creatures,” Stark commented, elbowing Loki who just pouted, not even threatening to eviscerate him.

That was new for Thor.

“Reminds me of someone else who fell,” Loki pointed with his chin to the repaired window Stark knew all too well.

“Yeah, maybe don’t do that again. The glassier was beaming when he sent the parcel.”

“I thought you were a rich man.”

“I am, but I prefer spending my money in ways that don’t include repairing the windows from which an egomaniac Bambi has thrown me. Like buying your expensive tea from India.”

It was Loki’s turn to elbow him in the ribs, but they fell silent, going back to their previous positions.

They had arrived late, so instead of squeezing themselves among the others they had settled for leaning on the doorframe, one against each doorjamb, and listen to Clint’s tale from there.

“A funny tale indeed, my friend,” Thor intervened before someone managed to steal Clint away, “But now there’s something else I’d like to know, if you don’t mind changing subject.”

“I can’t believe it,” Loki sighed.

“You won’t tell me anything, it’s not my fault if I have to ask friend Clint.”

“You’re such a child.”

“I’m the child? You’re the one refusing to tell me what that’s for,” he waved his hand in the direction of the twig hanging above Loki’s head.

“Yes, you’re the child because you can’t stand to be denied even the smallest thing.”

“No, you’re the child ‘cause you’re being terribly petty.”

Tony rolled his eyes, “You want to know what mistletoe is for? Very well,” he turned around and grabbed Loki by the shirt, crashing his mouth against the mage’s lips; the scene was already shocking enough for Thor before Loki wrapped his arms around Tony and pulled him closer.

“Okay, fine, you won,” Natasha huffed, handing Clint five dollars.

“That’s way you placed mistletoe everywhere?” Tony asked, pulling away from Loki but keeping his hand on Loki’s jaw.

“You two were going all lovebirds on each other, we had to know.”

“You may have asked,” Loki snorted, not even hinting at pulling away now that their secret had been revealed.

“And you would’ve told us,” Natasha quirked a red eyebrow, and Loki grinned at his friend.

“You might have a point.”

“Hey, love?” Tony called.

“Yes?” Loki all but purred, turning back toward his lover.

“I think we’ve broken your brother.”

Loki spared a glance in Thor’s direction.

The blond giant hadn’t stopped staring at them for a second, probably not even blinking.

“What’s wrong, _bróðir_ , after all you don’t like mistletoe that much?”

**Author's Note:**

> From the prompt @azrfaun gave me on Tumblr: “I like the idea of Clint who places mistletoes all over the Avengers Tower. Thor has no idea what it means while Loki - who has informed himself about it through Jarvis - doesn't want to explain this custom to his brother. Until he stands under one of Clint's mistletoes with Tony ...”
> 
> I actually had two different ideas for this prompt, so stay tuned for the second version :)
> 
> Hope you’ve enjoyed it!


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